The modern game of golf originated in Scotland in the 15th century. Since its inception, the game of golf has globally risen in popularity. Whether golf is played for the purpose of exercising, passing time outdoors, providing an outlet to escape the day-to-day strains and worries, building social and business contacts, spending time with loved ones, or just enjoying the challenge of the sport itself, golf has generally transformed into a highly desirable sport for a diverse population of golfers of all levels and with different golfing preferences.
Although an increasing number of golfers are picking up the sport, driving ranges that provide golfers with a place to practice are generally ill-equipped to accommodate the various levels and preferences of the players. Many driving ranges are generally equipped with artificial grass mats that can pose many challenges to golfers. These artificial grass mats may cause golfers to either: (1) hit directly on the surface of the artificial grass mat, thereby causing the golfer to alter his or her golf swing, or (2) hit on a bulky rubber tee that is inserted through a hole in the artificial grass mat. The bulky rubber tee is generally not adjustable and typically requires the user to lift the dirty mat, brave all of the bugs that live under the mat, and push the rubber tee upward through the hole.
In addition to its difficulty in installation and removal, the standard and bulky rubber tee typically has many other deficiencies. One deficiency is typically the low predictability of the golf ball trajectories when golf balls are hit from the standard rubber tee. This deficiency is usually exacerbated by the fact that the predictability is even lower when hitting golf balls directly from the mat surface itself.
Another deficiency is generally the set placement of a rubber tee on one of the sides of the artificial grass mat, a fixed position which does not accommodate both right- and left-handed golfers, many of whom would prefer to place the ball elsewhere on the mat while retaining the ability to strike the ball from a raised height. Furthermore, another deficiency is that the rubber tee itself does not accommodate varying the height of the ball as the ball rests on the tee.
To address these issues, there have been dozens, if not hundreds, of devices to remedy the deficiencies of the standard bulky rubber tee. U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2008/0146383, filed by Dandelius, discloses a golf tee device that fits into the hole of a golf mat from the top and generally supports a golf tee. Although the Dandelius device does allow the user to forego having to lift the golf mat, the Dandelius device has its own deficiencies, including being very complex, being expensive to manufacture, and having two separate parts. Moreover, the Dandelius device generally is limited to being placed only in the standard hole that was already in the golf mat to accommodate the bulky rubber tee, and generally cannot engage the mat in any other location. Finally, the Dandelius device generally does not allow the user to engage the use of a standard wooden tee or vary the height of the ball placement.
U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2007/0167259, filed by Lipidarov, discloses a golf tee device that is more flexible than the Dandelius device. Unfortunately, the Lipidarov golf tee device is even more complex and still requires the user to use the existing hole in the golf mat.
U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2004/0132554, filed by Schulze, discloses a golf tee holder that engages with a standard wooden tee. The Schulze golf tee holder, however, still must be placed under an artificial grass mat.
Thus, what is needed is a reusable, easy-to-use, inexpensive golf tee that securely grips on to a golfing surface, including an artificial grass mat, at any location on the mat, and that can easily be removed from the surface.